It’s #GivingTuesday – a day where the public is urged to ‘do good stuff’ for charity as it falls after the consumerism of Black Friday and Cyber Monday.
#GivingTuesday is by the team at Charities Aid Foundation (CAF) and this is only its third year – but the stats are impressive:
- in 2015 £6,000 a minute was raised for UK charities
- A World Record was broken for the most money donated online in 24 hours
- #GivingTuesday is run in over 70 countries around the world.
#GivingTuesday is not just about raising money.
Here are a few ideas for how you can take part in #GivingTuesday that doesn’t involve money:
- Write for Amnesty – send some words of comfort to Nazanin, a charity worker imprisoned in Iran (the charges remain a secret) and sign the petition to free her.
- Simply tweet – tweet using #TweetForShelter and British Gas will donate £1 to Shelter (up to £25,000).
- Become a volunteer – Beanstalk is just one charity calling for people to volunteer their time to make a difference.
4. Give the gift of listening – this is a lovely idea from Samaritans. Do you have a friend, family member or colleague who needs a friendly ear? Take the time to listen to them. It could save a life.
5. Nominate a local cause – supermarkets, such as The Co-op are looking for local causes to support so nominate a local charity.
6. Become a trustee – charities need strong and effective boards so make a huge difference by becoming a trustee for a cause you care about. Find opportunities on Trustee Finder.
7. Spread the word – if you support charities, why not tweet or share on Facebook why you support them and help raise awareness of their cause.